U.S. patent application number 11/712038 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-30 for motor vehicle door.
This patent application is currently assigned to Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG. Invention is credited to Manfred Appel, Karlheinz Keller, Klaus Rieder.
Application Number | 20070199248 11/712038 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38137655 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070199248 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rieder; Klaus ; et
al. |
August 30, 2007 |
Motor vehicle door
Abstract
A motor vehicle door with a door body is formed from a door
inner part and a door outer panel fastened thereto. The door body
has toward a top, a shaft opening for a window shaft located inside
the door body, and a shaft reinforcement fastened to the door inner
part and extends below the shaft opening and on which the door
outer panel is supported with its upper flange which lies adjacent
to the shaft opening and is bent off downwardly. A window seal is
assigned to the shaft opening and is received in a fastening groove
formed at least by a first upright longitudinal web of the shaft
reinforcement. For production reasons, the downwardly bent-off
flange is made as a free-standing wall connected firmly to the
shaft reinforcement only with its lower end portion. The
free-standing wall delimits the fastening groove laterally together
with the longitudinal web.
Inventors: |
Rieder; Klaus;
(Weissach-Flacht, DE) ; Appel; Manfred;
(Muhlacker, DE) ; Keller; Karlheinz; (Pforzheim,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LERNER GREENBERG STEMER LLP
P O BOX 2480
HOLLYWOOD
FL
33022-2480
US
|
Assignee: |
Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG
|
Family ID: |
38137655 |
Appl. No.: |
11/712038 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
49/502 ;
49/377 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 5/0411 20130101;
B60J 5/0469 20130101; B60J 10/75 20160201 |
Class at
Publication: |
49/502 ;
49/377 |
International
Class: |
B60J 1/16 20060101
B60J001/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2006 |
DE |
10 2006 009 523.5 |
Claims
1. A motor vehicle door, comprising: a door body, including: a door
inner part; a door outer panel fastened to said door inner part and
having an upper flange being a downwardly bent-off flange with a
lower end portion, said door inner part and said door outer panel
defining an interior having a window shaft and a shaft opening at a
top of said window shaft; a shaft reinforcement fastened to said
door inner part and extending below said shaft opening, on said
shaft reinforcement, said door outer panel being supported with
said upper flange lying adjacent to said shaft opening and bent off
downwardly, said shaft reinforcement having a first upright
longitudinal web defining part of a fastening groove; a window seal
assigned to said shaft opening and received in said fastening
groove; and said downwardly bent-off flange of said door outer
panel made in a form of a free-standing wall connected firmly to
said shaft reinforcement only with said lower end portion, and said
free-standing wall delimiting said fastening groove laterally
together with said first upright longitudinal web.
2. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein said first
upright longitudinal web has a shoulder forming a groove bottom of
said fastening groove.
3. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second upright longitudinal web disposed between said upper
flange and said door outer panel, and extends at least in portions
from said shaft reinforcement, for defining a longitudinal channel
formed at least in portions with said first upright longitudinal
web, said second upright longitudinal web having a smaller height
than said first upright longitudinal web; and an adhesive setting
under an action of heat, said upper flange of said door outer panel
bonded at least to said first upright longitudinal web of said
shaft reinforcement by said adhesive.
4. The motor vehicle door according to claim 3, wherein said
longitudinal channel has a width being greater than a material
thickness of said upper flange of said door outer panel.
5. The motor vehicle door according to claim 2, wherein: said first
upright longitudinal web has openings formed therein; and said
upper flange has fastening lugs extending through said openings
formed in said first upright longitudinal web.
6. The motor vehicle door according to claim 5, wherein said
openings are formed in said shoulder of said first upright first
longitudinal web.
7. The motor vehicle door according to claim 5, wherein said
fastening lugs are inserted into said openings in a bent-off
mounting position and are then bent into a fixing position.
8. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein said shaft
reinforcement is an extruded hollow profile.
9. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein said door
inner part has an upper frame leg and said shaft reinforcement is
disposed adjacent to said upper frame leg.
10. The motor vehicle door according to claim 9, wherein said shaft
reinforcement is curved and has a curving component in a transverse
direction of a vehicle and/or in a vertical direction of the
vehicle.
11. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein said shaft
reinforcement has a supporting web for said door outer panel, said
supporting web extends in a direction of said door outer panel and
has a cross-sectional profile adapted to a shape of said door outer
panel.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119, of German application DE 10 2006 009 523.5, filed Feb.
28, 2006; the prior application is herewith incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a motor vehicle door.
[0003] A generic motor vehicle door, which contains a door body
which is formed of a door inner part, which can also be referred to
as a frame, and a door outer panel, is known from published,
non-prosecuted German patent application DE 100 38 200 A1. The door
outer panel is fastened to the door inner part at an edge. A window
shaft, which is provided toward the top with a shaft opening so
that a window pane supported movably on the door can be lowered
into the window shaft and raised again, is formed inside the door
body. The window shaft is provided with a shaft reinforcement in a
region of its shaft opening, on which moreover the door outer panel
is supported with a downwardly bent-off flange. For this purpose,
the shaft reinforcement contains two upright longitudinal webs
which form a U-shaped fastening groove. The shaft opening is
furthermore assigned a window seal, which is retained either
together with the flange in the fastening groove or in a separate
fastening groove (see FIG. 6 in DE 100 38 200 A1).
[0004] Published, non-prosecuted German patent application DE 38 16
347 A1 describes, for a motor vehicle door, a shaft reinforcement
which contains a fastening groove formed by two upright webs, into
which a downwardly bent-off flange of the door outer panel is
inserted and bonded. A second fastening groove receives the window
seal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
motor vehicle door that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages
of the prior art devices of this general type, in which the window
seal and the outer panel are supported on a shaft reinforcement in
a simple way.
[0006] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, a motor vehicle door.
The door contains a door body formed of a door inner part and a
door outer panel fastened to the door inner part. The door outer
panel has an upper flange being a downwardly bent-off flange with a
lower end portion. The door inner part and the door outer panel
define an interior having a window shaft and a shaft opening at a
top of the window shaft. A shaft reinforcement is fastened to the
door inner part and extends below the shaft opening. On the shaft
reinforcement, the door outer panel is supported with the upper
flange lying adjacent to the shaft opening and bent off downwardly.
The shaft reinforcement has a first upright longitudinal web
defining part of a fastening groove. A window seal is assigned to
the shaft opening and is received in the fastening groove. The
downwardly bent-off flange of the door outer panel is made in a
form of a free-standing wall connected firmly to the shaft
reinforcement only with the lower end portion, and the
free-standing wall delimits the fastening groove laterally together
with the first upright longitudinal web.
[0007] The advantages mainly achieved with the invention can be
seen in that a separate fastening groove for the window seal or the
door outer panel can be dispensed with because the downwardly
bent-off flange of the door outer panel forms the seat (fastening
groove) for the window seal together with the upright longitudinal
web. Stable interconnection with the shaft reinforcement is
moreover afforded by connecting the end portion of the flange
firmly to the longitudinal web. The motor vehicle door according to
the invention can furthermore be produced more easily.
[0008] In order for it to be possible to limit the insertion depth
of the flange or of the window seal, a groove bottom formed by the
longitudinal web itself is advantageously provided.
[0009] According to a development of the invention, it is
advantageous if excess adhesive can be caught between the two
longitudinal webs. Use is preferably made of an adhesive which sets
or solidifies only under heat action, which can take place, for
example, when a body provided with the motor vehicle door is
heated, in particular during the heating following what is known as
cathodic immersion-painting.
[0010] The adhesive mentioned above can be caught particularly
advantageously and safely if the longitudinal channel has an
appropriate width.
[0011] Secure fastening of the door outer panel to the shaft
reinforcement is possible, the door outer panel being supported on
the shaft reinforcement with the additional fastening lugs, at
least until the adhesive has set.
[0012] According to an embodiment, the door inner part is stiffened
with the shaft reinforcement.
[0013] For attractive body styling, the shaft reinforcement can
have a curving component, in particular when the shaft
reinforcement lies adjacent below what is known as a waistline of
the body and is intended to follow its shape, or the door outer
panel has a corresponding shape or a curve, if for example the
cross section of the door body changes.
[0014] Other features which are considered as characteristic for
the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein
as embodied in a motor vehicle door, it is nevertheless not
intended to be limited to the details shown, since various
modifications and structural changes may be made therein without
departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and
range of equivalents of the claims.
[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof
will be best understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a motor
vehicle with a motor vehicle door according to the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of the motor
vehicle door according to FIG. 1 in an unfinished state;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, perspective view of a shaft
reinforcement of the motor vehicle door according to FIG. 2;
[0020] FIG. 4 is an enlarged, diagrammatic, sectional view of the
motor vehicle door taken along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 2;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an enlarged, diagrammatic, sectional view of the
motor vehicle door taken along the line V-V shown in FIG. 1;
and
[0022] FIG. 6 is an enlarged, diagrammatic, sectional view of
detail X shown in FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and
first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a motor
vehicle 1 of a configuration known per se with a construction 2,
which has a body 3. In a conventional way, a motor vehicle door 5
is inserted into a body opening 4 in such a way that it can be
pivoted from a shown closed position ST about a hinge axis 6 into a
non-illustrated open position. In this connection, the hinge axis 6
is disposed adjacent to what is known as an A pillar 7, for
example. The motor vehicle door 5 of the illustrative embodiment is
accordingly a side door of the motor vehicle 1.
[0024] The motor vehicle door, referred to below simply as the door
5, has a door body 8, which lies below a waistline 9 of the body 3.
The door 5 also contains a window pane 10, which can only be seen
in FIG. 5 in a lowered position PA, in which it is lowered inside
the door body 8. In its raised, closed position (not shown), it
projects from a shaft opening 11 of the door body 8. The shaft
opening 11 lies in the waistline 9 and thus follows its shape,
which can be seen from FIG. 1. In the region of the door 5, the
waistline 9 can have a shape which is curved, rising and/or falling
in at least one transverse direction FQ of the vehicle and/or
vertical direction FH of the vehicle.
[0025] The door 5 is formed of at least of a door inner part 12
(FIG. 2) and a door outer panel 13 connected thereto at the edge,
and the door inner part 12 can be of an all-round construction like
a frame, that is it can contain a first upright frame leg 7'
adjacent to the A pillar 7, a second upright frame leg 14' adjacent
to a B pillar 14 (FIG. 1), a non-illustrated lower frame leg
extending adjacent to a sill 15 and lastly an upper frame leg 16
(FIG. 5) extending adjacent to the waistline 9. A shaft
reinforcement 17, which is disposed below the shaft opening 11 and
adjacent to the door outer panel 13, is disposed on the door inner
part 12 approximately parallel to but at a distance from the frame
leg 16. The door inner part 12 and the door outer panel 13 thus
surround a window shaft 18, which is open toward the top through
the shaft opening 11, so that the window pane 10 can be lowered
into it. The shaft opening 11 can accordingly be delimited
laterally by the shaft reinforcement 17 on the one hand and by the
frame leg 16 on the other hand. The door inner part 12 can also be
equipped with what is known as a mirror triangle 19, which serves
for fastening an external rear view mirror 20 and projects above
the frame leg 16 and the waistline 9.
[0026] As FIG. 4 shows, the door outer panel 13 contains on its
upper edge 21 facing the shaft opening 11 a downwardly bent-off
flange 22, which with its free end 23' is connected to the shaft
reinforcement 17 as follows. One or more fastening lugs 23, which
are bent off toward the shaft opening 11 from the flange 22, extend
from the flange 22, which is straight but directed at an angle to
an imaginary horizontal and downwardly. FIG. 4 shows a mounting
position MT of the fastening lug 23 and a finished end or fixing
position FT. According to the number of fastening lugs 23, one or
more openings 25, into which the fastening lugs 23 can be inserted
when they are in the mounting position MT, are formed in an upright
first longitudinal web 24 extending upward from the shaft
reinforcement 17. The door outer panel 13 can therefore be hung on
the shaft reinforcement 17 with its fastening lugs 23; the
fastening lugs 23 are then bent in the direction of the
longitudinal web 24, preferably until they bear against it, as
clarified by the fixing position FT. The longitudinal web 24 is
therefore received between the fastening lugs 23 and the remaining
end portion 26, with the end 23', of the flange 22. Bonding KB,
which will be described in greater detail below, can additionally
be provided between the flange 22 and the longitudinal web 24.
[0027] As can be seen clearly in FIG. 6, the upright first
longitudinal web 24 contains in its course a step or a shoulder 27.
The openings 25 for the fastening lugs 23 are formed in this
inclined or curved shoulder 27 extending in the direction of the
frame leg 16, so that an again upright web portion 28 of the
longitudinal web 24 disposed above the shoulder 27, and a flange
portion 29 of the flange 22 disposed above the fastening lugs 23
and the shoulder 27 define, that is delimit laterally and at the
bottom, an upwardly open fastening groove 30. An outer window seal
31 assigned to the shaft opening 11 and the door outer panel 13 is
inserted into the U-shaped or V-shaped fastening groove 30. An
inner window seal 32 for the shaft opening 11 can be fastened to
the frame leg 16. The outer window seal 31 contains an insertion or
fastening portion 33, which is retained inside the fastening groove
30 in a clamping and/or catching or similar way. At least one
sealing lip 34 or 35 lying inside the fastening groove 30, which
interacts sealingly with the longitudinal web 24, can extend from
the fastening portion 33. One or more sealing indentations 36, in
which the free end of the sealing lip 34 or 35 comes to lie
depending on how far the fastening portion 33 projects into the
fastening groove 30, can accordingly be formed on the longitudinal
web 24. Furthermore, at least one upwardly directed pane sealing
lip 37, which interacts with the window pane 9, also extends from
the fastening portion 33. Moreover, an external extension 38, which
extends over the edge 21 of the door outer panel 13 and lies with a
sealing bead 39 on the outer panel 13, is also formed on the
fastening portion 33.
[0028] The fastening groove 30 is--as mentioned--formed by the
flange portion 29, which is adjoined by the end portion 26
connected firmly to the shaft reinforcement 17 by the bonding KB.
The remaining portion of the flange 22, that is the flange portion
29, is on the other hand made in the form of a free-standing wall
40 of the groove 30, which is therefore not supported laterally but
is connected firmly to the shaft reinforcement 17 only with its
lower end 23' or the end portion 26 and which delimits the
fastening groove 30 laterally. The wall 40 stands freely,
unsupported, between the edge 21 and the end portion 26. A groove
bottom 41 of the fastening groove 30 is formed by the shoulder 27
and another lateral wall 42 of the longitudinal web 24, in
particular by its web portion 28.
[0029] A second upright longitudinal web 43, which stands upright
between the flange 22 and the door outer panel 13 but has a
considerably smaller height H1 than the first longitudinal web 24
(height H2), is formed on the shaft reinforcement 17 at a lateral
distance AB, that is offset in the direction of the door outer
panel 13. In particular, the height H1 is dimensioned in such a way
that the second longitudinal web 43 does not reach with its upper
end 43' as far as the shoulder 27 or the openings 25. Moreover, the
lateral distance AB between the webs 24 and 43 is clearly greater
than the material thickness MD of the flange 22. A longitudinal
channel 44, which serves for catching excess adhesive KS of the
bonding KB, is thus formed at least in portions by at least the two
webs 24 and 43. The cross section of the longitudinal channel 44
can be U-shaped or V-shaped. The width of the longitudinal channel
44 is the same as the lateral distance AB.
[0030] The shaft reinforcement 17 is preferably made in one piece
in the form of an extruded hollow profile (FIG. 5). This includes,
for example, a one-chamber or two-chamber profile 45, if
appropriate a multi-chamber profile, as a basic body, the first and
second longitudinal webs 24 and 43 being connected to the basic
body by an upper chamber profile 46 via a flatly rising or
approximately horizontal connecting web 47. A supporting web 49,
which--seen in cross section--as an angular web is equipped with a
horizontal leg 50 and an upright leg 51, also extends laterally
from a lower chamber profile 48. The upright leg 51 serves for
supporting the door outer panel 13. For this purpose, it contains
an elastic supporting element 52, in particular what is known as a
swelling foam seal. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the width BR of the
laterally projecting leg 50 changes over the length of the shaft
reinforcement 17. The supporting web 49 can thus be adapted to the
shape of the door outer panel 13.
[0031] It can also be seen from FIG. 3 that the shaft reinforcement
17 extends in a curved, rising and/or falling shape, as has already
been described above in connection with the shape of the waistline
9. The shaft reinforcement 17 therefore has at least a first
curving component B1 in the transverse direction FQ of the vehicle
as, seen in the transverse direction FQ of the vehicle, starting
from the A pillar 7 in the direction of the B pillar 14, the cross
section of the door body 8 changes and/or increases or decreases in
depth and/or is bellied, and/or the waistline 9 extends in a curve.
An additional or alternative second curving component B2 is
provided for the shaft reinforcement 17 in the vertical direction
FH of the vehicle as, seen in the transverse direction FQ of the
vehicle, starting from the A pillar 7 in the direction of the B
pillar 14, the cross section of the door body 8 changes and/or
increases or decreases in height and/or is bellied, and/or the
waistline 9 extends in a curve, the waistline 9, starting from the
A pillar 7 in the direction of the B pillar 14, rising or falling,
for example. The arrows of the curving components B1 and B2 are
indicated in the same way as an arrow for indicating a radius.
* * * * *